Open Water Dreaming
By Your Inner Otter
The open water fishing season is right around the corner. In fact, it is kinda here now. Rivers are open and the suckers should start running any day now. Anglers young and old are starting to plan their first trip of 2022. Otter Tail County, MN has more lakes (& plenty of rivers) than any other county in the United States. The hardest part can be picking a spot to wet a line. Click here for a map of area public accesses.
Pre-opener angling
Over the past few years, we’ve coined the phrase Panfish Paradise when talking about fishing in Otter Tail County. Most of the lakes here are conducive to producing both quantity and quality when it comes to panfish. The other good news is you can target bluegill and crappie year-round. Panfish become very active once the water temps start hitting the mid-40s or low 50s. You can target them in shallow bays with a float and a hair jig or small minnow. Please practice selective harvesting to ensure the fish populations remain healthy for future generations.
New Bluegill Regulations
In 2020, the Minnesota DNR began what they call the quality sunfish initiative. According to the DNR, many anglers were expressing concern about the size of bluegills they were catching “DNR fisheries managers responded with a quality sunfish initiative that uses proven daily limits of five or 10 sunfish to protect and improve sunfish quality on select lakes with both the biological potential to produce large sunfish and strong public support.”
There are currently 18 bodies of water in Otter Tail County with reduced daily limits for sunfish. Deer Lake, East Lost Lake, Fish Lake, Franklin Lake, Long Lake, Middle Lake, Prairie Lake, Red River Lake, Lida Lakes, Stuart Lake, Venstrom Lake, Wall Lake, West Lost Lake, West Silent Lake & others. You can find the complete list on the MN DNR website (here). Special crappie, walleye, bass & northern pike regulations are in place in some lakes within the county, please be sure to refer to the 2022 Minnesota Fishing Regulations to ensure you are in compliance with all the rules.
The Opener
Speaking of walleye, bass & northern pike, those seasons open on May 14th in 2022. In 2021 our area was the center of attention for walleye fishing as we hosted the Minnesota Governor’s Fishing Opener and the National Walleye Tour Championship. Many area lakes didn’t see their normal fishing pressure this winter because of ice and snow conditions so there should be plenty of walleyes that are willing and able to bite your line.
The other good news is the MN DNR has said they will be allowing the public to visit them at the Walker Lake Fish Hatchery when they start their walleye stripping and fertilizing program. They did no stocking in 2020 due to the pandemic and the public was unable to be present in 2021. This is subject to change, so be sure to double-check before you plan a visit.
With over 1,000 lakes in Otter Tail County, angling is one of the reasons people choose to visit and live here. The lakes have been pretty busy the last couple of summers, so please be extra courteous when enjoying our public waters. If you are looking for a little guidance this year when it comes to catching fish, there are a number of professional fishing guides in the area ready to help you out. Be sure to book your trip early as dates fill up fast. Here is a useful link to help you Find Your Outdoorsy Otter on the water this year.